Laptops!

Tag: uC

Looking back, I am surprised at how electronics has quietly advanced to the point where we can buy small programmable computers on chips for a dollar or two. These are microcontrollers of course, and in my lab we are working on programming them to handle the tedious tasks in our robotics projects.

It is packed with 26 electronics projects that involve getting these tiny computers to talk to each other and the internet over both wired and wireless connections. I have ordered all the requisite parts, and when purchased, they amount to around $280. I am looking forward to summer vacation when I get to go through each of these projects one-by-one:

Making a computer “mouse” out of a stuffed animal monkey and flex sensors.

Making the monkey wireless

Negotiating in Bluetooth with the BlueSMiRF module

Setting up a networked webcam

Connecting a microcontroller to the internet without a computer

Networked Air Quality Meter

Networked Games

Infrared Communication

Radio Communication

Duplex Radio Communication

Bluetooth Communication

Broadcasting Messaging

Directed Messaging

Infrared Rangefinding

Ultrasonic Rangefinding

Reading Signal Strength with XBee Radios

Reading Signal Strength with Bluetooth Radios

Reading the GPS Serial Protocol

Heading with a Digital Compass

Attitude with an Accelerometer

Color Recognition with a Webcam

2D Barcode Recognition with a Webcam

Reading RFID Tags

RFID and Home Automation

IP Geocoding

Email from RFID

OK, I wont be making each of these. I will get an idea halfway through and take off and work on that. But it should be fun!